


Secret Starts

by FrozenSnares



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Car Accidents, Cute, Emergency room, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, Firsts, Fluff, Hospitals, Online Dating, Texting, er - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 16:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7275622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenSnares/pseuds/FrozenSnares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shireen finally takes to online dating after having lost hope of ever meeting anyone else. She doesn't expect much from this new guy, but she changes her mind soon enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secret Starts

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone's interested in participating in a Rickeen ship week, come check out [my tumblr](http://frozensnares.tumblr.com/post/146320611741/rickeen-shipweek) to start getting involved. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Or just take the survey.](https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K8J7ZJF)

_So I bet you think you’re a badass on that bike, right?_

_That depends. Do you like badasses?  
That sounded weird._

Shireen grinned, staring down at her phone. She still wasn’t sure why she thought this was a good idea. It never worked before. But there was something here that never existed before. The flutter of her heart never stopped when her phone buzzed now. Not when it might be _him_.

_I think I might._

It wasn’t exactly the start that she ever thought she would have to a relationship, but that’s exactly what it was. She remembered not getting to sleep until after three that morning. That he stayed up with her, asking and answering questions about his life and his family while she gave back the same information. A small part of her brain couldn’t believe this was real. Shireen had been well-warned about the dangers of online dating, and she knew that there was a very good chance that this guy she’d been talking to wasn’t who he said she was. But she definitely felt like she was maybe contributing to it all.

_Hey, you’re real, right?_

_Yeah. I’m real._

_What if I’m not?_

_That’s silly. Why wouldn’t you be?_

_Because I probably don’t look like how you think I do…_

_I mean, same. Want my snapchat?_

_Sure._

The selfies helped. If not because the real-time interaction, then because Shireen could finally see his face. She remembered screenshotting the first selfie he sent her, only to his immediate response of winky faces and teasing. But he did the same right after, even when she finally sent a picture of her full face with trembling fingers.

_So are you hiding from everyone that you’re sexy af?_

_Well, I can’t just flounce it around like some people._

_You think I flounce?_

_With your bike, leather jackets, and that undercut? Definitely._

_You said you liked it._

_I do._

It was a good secret to keep. At least, it was at the beginning. Shireen got to stare at her phone with a stupid smile on her face every time he sent her a message or a picture. No one caught on. She wouldn’t let them. She just wanted to keep him to herself. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t there, or that he might be someone different. For the first time in her life, Shireen felt like she might mean something to someone. And that was worth it.

_What are you up to tonight?_

_Don’t laugh._

_Why would I laugh?_

_I’m baking._

_You’re baking?_

_I told you not to laugh._

_I not laughing._

_Really?_

_Pinky promise._

_Well, I’m making chocolate chip cookies, but it’s mostly so I can eat the cookie dough._

_You know you can buy cookie dough, right?_

_It doesn’t taste the same._

_True._

_These cookies are amazing. You should try some._

_And how would I accomplish that?_

_I could bring some to you._

Shireen’s heart stopped. Staring down at her phone, she tried to think through what that meant. They had been talking for nearly a month now. He probably knew her better than anyone, but she definitely didn’t know if she was ready for this. They had been talking non-stop for weeks. There was nothing between them except for the fact that they never existed in a space together where they could touch. She wanted to meet him. She felt like her whole life had been building up to this. But the singular fear that it could all be a lie gave her hesitation.

_How about I go to you?_

Shireen shook herself, shocked that she would even think about offering that. Immediately, she called her cousin.

“Myrcella!” she called, stopping herself from screaming into the phone. “I need your help.”

“Real help or fake help?” Myrcella asked back. “Because debating the potential for the multiplicative universe theory doesn’t really count as helping…”

Shireen groaned, knowing that Myrcella brought that up at every possible instant. “For the last time, that was for class,” she said. “And real help. Like, really real help.”

“You have my interest,” Myrcella replied, and Shireen could hear her slumping back in her bed.

“It’s a boy.”

“And now you have my attention,” Myrcella said, all eager now with the possibility of gossip. “Details. I want to know everything.”

Shireen paused. “I promise I will fill you in later,” she swore. “But I need a favor right now.”

“What?”

“I’m going to meet him for the first time right now,” Shireen started slowly.

“Wait. What?” Myrcella interjected.

“Not here, because safety,” Shireen went on. “His apartment. Well, outside. I’m not going in.”

Myrcella huffed out a breath. “You know you sound crazy, right?”

“Cella, _please_ ,” Shireen said. “I just want to actually meet him. But… I need you to maybe call the police if I don’t text you in the next twenty minutes.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yes?”

Myrcella groaned loudly. “I will, but you have to send me his address, too. You have his address, right?”

Quickly, Shireen pulled away her phone, swiping at the screen to see that he had sent two messages: one of his address, one that simply said _I can’t wait to see you_. Her heart was pounding, but she promised Myrcella that she would, before hanging up and heading out of her house.

On the drive over, Shireen realized that she didn’t do anything to better her appearance. Her hair wasn’t combed, she wasn’t wearing makeup, she hadn’t even changed out of her regular clothes, and she was going to meet someone she’d wager that she was falling in love with. Taking a deep breath, Shireen slowly pulled into his apartment complex and put the car in park. She sighed deeply, then she texted Myrcella that she was there. Then, she pulled up the other conversation.

_I’m here._

_Literally going to run down the stairs._

_Don’t drop the cookies._

_Fuck. Gimme a sec._

Shireen grinned down at her phone, happy to picture him forgetting about the cookies and running off without them. However, her heart was racing out of her chest, and the trouble she had breathing only got worse when Myrcella confirmed that she had set a timer. Every time a door opened, Shireen jumped, looking around and wondering whether she would recognize him in person. But familiar auburn curls fell just into his eyes, and the grinning, wide smile made his green eyes shine even in the low light of dusk. He was carrying a small plate of cookies, though, and Shireen finally felt her heart start again.

“Hi, I’m Rickon,” he said, walking up to her and biting his lip lightly. Shireen wanted to say that she knows, that she would never forget what he looked like, that this was a moment made of magic. There was no time for her to respond, though. Rickon closed the gap between them, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently.

Gasping against his mouth, Shireen pulled away with a small, “Hi.”

The rest of the night was lost to easy conversation. Rickon only gave her a small bit of teasing for needing to text her cousin back, but they ate cookies together under the streetlight and just talked. It was just as easy to be next to him as it was to text him continuously. He took her around the parking lot, showing off his motorcycle and telling her all about how much he’d like to take her for a ride on it someday. Before she left, she got another kiss, and everything was perfect.

The next two weeks were even better. Rickon called and texted with the same frequency as before, but now they also went on dates. He took her out every few nights, claiming that it was just so he could kiss her afterwards. It was pure bliss, even if she shared it with no one. Only her cousin had the smallest inkling of what was happening. However, Shireen kept some things from her cousin, too. Rickon was a secret for her to keep to herself, just her own private source of happiness.

She never expected her whole life to come crashing down so soon. But the news was on in the morning, just as it always was. This time, it was news of a potentially-fatal motorcycle accident just a few blocks from Rickon’s apartment. Automatically, Shireen pulled out her phone to text Rickon.

_Good morning :)_

The reply didn’t come, but that was normal. He might’ve been doing any number of things. There was still time, still hope. Nothing kept Shireen calm, though. She spent her morning frantically comparing pixelated news footage of the motorcycle in the car accident to pictures of his bike, only becoming more and more distressed as he didn’t respond.

The phone call made it worse.

“Rickon?” Shireen asked, picking up her phone the instant it rang.

“I’m sorry,” the responding voice said.

Shaking, Shireen grasped onto the counter, trying to hold herself up. She couldn’t even get a word out.

“He’s in the ER,” the woman told her.

“Is he—is he—?” Shireen was sobbing in full now. Rubbing at her eyes, Shireen tried to think straight, tried to plan a trip to the hospital.

“He needs surgery,” the woman said softly.

“I’ll be there,” Shireen blurted out. “I’ll be there, I promise.”

“Okay.”

Shireen hung up the call, but all her energy was sapped entirely. She couldn’t move or force herself up. The urge to go hadn’t left her yet, and she was willing her body to _move_. It wasn’t soon enough, though, and her father found her crying on the floor of the kitchen.

“Shireen? What’s wrong?” he asked, kneeling down to help her out.

Breathing hard, Shireen met her dad’s eyes, seeing the concern that rarely manifested there. “I need to go to the hospital,” she said between hiccoughs.

Stannis was immediately taken aback, holding her more firmly. “What’s wrong?”

“Not me,” Shireen said quickly, wiping off her nose. “It’s… I’ve been dating this guy. And he got in car accident, and I can’t—I can’t…”

Pulling her up entirely, Stannis helped her to her feet. He checked his watch subtly, but Shireen caught the movement.

“You don’t have to,” she started, pulling away.

“Nonsense,” he responded. “I can get you there before I get to work. I’ll have someone pick you up later.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Shireen mumbled, being pulled into the car. She had to be reminded to remember her wallet, to put her seatbelt on, but she didn’t hesitate when the car stopped outside the door of the emergency room. She bolted out the car, rushing inside, thanking every god she knew that there wasn’t a line in front of her. Hurrying to the receptionist, she blurted out, “I’m here to see Rickon Stark.”

“Relation?” the receptionist asked, glancing up before shuffling about her papers.

Shireen pause for a moment that felt like a lifetime. They were dating, sure, but that wasn’t nearly enough of an excuse to get her to see someone in the ER. She shook herself. “Girlfriend,” she said. “I’m his girlfriend.”

The receptionist looked up sharply. “Girlfriend?” she asked. Then, she smiled. “Oh, good. He’s been asking for you.”

Her heart stopped again, and Shireen walked through the hospital, slowly following the receptionist. It was a short walk, but far too long before she was pushing open the door to his room. Inside, he was hooked up to a variety of machines, wires and tubes going in every direction. There were even braces and hard pieces of plastic, presumably to keep him from moving. Choking on another sob, Shireen stepped forward.

There were two people in the room with Rickon, giving her confused looks as she took another step. After a moment, the male of the two raised a hand and said, “Wex.”

“Wylla,” the woman added on.

“He’s been calling for you non-stop,” Wex said. “Seeing you might actually break his heart monitor.”

“Wex!” Wylla hit him in the chest, shoving him away at the same time.

Swallowing hard, Shireen tore her eyes from Rickon to introduce herself. “Hi, I’m Shireen.”

“Shireen?”

The soft mumble caught her attention more than anything else ever could have. Moving quickly, Shireen reached for his hand, looking over again at the small hint of green from his eyes. “You look horrible,” she told him.

“Yeah, no shit,” Rickon replied, making her laugh. His fingers twirled around hers, slower and weaker than she was used to, but the familiarity grounded her back into reality. This was real. He was alive. Closing his eyes, Rickon tugged on her fingers twice. The two sharp movements made her lean down closer to him. “Am I gonna have to beg for a kiss?”

“What if I hurt you?”

“You could never.”

He hummed lightly when she finally kissed him, asking her back a few times before he was pulled away for surgery. Unable to bear being inside his empty room, Shireen found a place to wait in the hallway. Sometime while she was there, Wex and Wylla left, giving her hugs and well wishes, promising they’d be back later. Shireen just shrunk into her chair, curling up around her knees as she waited for her boyfriend. He was her boyfriend. Even if they decided it separately, it was real.

As the time passed, Shireen watched the humdrum of the hospital move around her. People rushing around, saving lives, and happy, tearful reunions all around… Shireen just watched everyone returning, hoping that one of them was Rickon. Another small group built up in the hallway: a married couple that looked almost as worried as she was after speaking to a nurse, who were soon joined by family, and Shireen just sat, just watched. On instinct, she looked up as someone returned from surgery. She jumped to her feet at the sight of squished auburn curls.

Rushing along his side, Shireen followed the nurses as the pushed him back into the room. She waited for him to be completely situated before grabbing onto his hand again. Then, she asked the nurse, “How is he?”

“Stable,” the nurse said. “He’s been in and out since we finished, so we’ll get him to sleep after he gets a chance to say hi to everyone.”

A huge sigh left Shireen, and she let the nurse leave her field of vision before she got comfortable at Rickon’s side, stroking her fingers over his hand. Nothing else could keep her attention from this, though the throat clearing completely scared her. She turned around to see the family from the hallway crowded into the room with her. The pressing silence weighed on her, and Shireen didn’t know how to react. There was only one person in this room that she wanted to be with, and giving attention to his family just didn’t compare.

“Shireen?”

Turning sharply to the muffled voice, Shireen focused her full attention back on Rickon. She lifted a hand up to brush the curls from his eyes. “Hey,” she whispered. “How are you?”

Rickon huffed, giving her a smile. “I’ve been better.”

Leaning down, Shireen gave him a quick kiss on the lips before pressing another to his forehead. “I think your family’s here,” she murmured out.

“Oh, good,” Rickon said. He dug his elbows into the hospital bed, and he nearly tried to push himself up before Shireen stopped him with a hand flat on his chest. There was another shuffling of feet behind her. Soon, his other hand was taken, and people were urging him to stay put. Before any of his family could say anything else, Rickon tugged on both hands in his grasp. “Hey, Mom. This is my girlfriend.”

Shireen felt her face flush, and she hid behind her hair before a soft hand rested on her shoulder. With a sheepish smile, Shireen inclined her head and said, “Shireen.”

Greetings and introductions were given. All of his family members in attendance gave him hugs and well wishes, but Rickon never let go of her hand the entire time. When he was finally forced to sleep for the night, his only request was that Shireen stay at his side. Shireen only gave him her sincere promise that she would, another kiss, and the firm affirmation of her love, leaving Rickon with a smile on his face as he drifted off.

“Are you going to marry me?” Rickon asked, sometime in the early hours of the morning.

Shireen shook herself awake, looking over to see Rickon staring at him, still looking sleepy. She rubbed her eyes with one hand, moving up to see him properly. “Hm?”

“Are you going to marry me?” Rickon asked again, squeezing her hand. He blinked slowly before adding on, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Shireen replied. Getting to her feet, she leans over to kiss him again.

Rickon smiled, looking up at her. “So, on my deathbed, covered in bandages, kept alive by machines, will you marry me?”

“You’re not dying,” Shireen reminded him. “And I will marry you as soon as we introduce you to my dad.”

“Do you want to call him?” Rickon asked, his grin growing wider.

Shireen kissed him again. “Shush, you,” she told him. “You need to heal first. And we have plenty of time.”

“Yeah, we do,” Rickon responded. He beckoned her up onto the tiny hospital bed, reminding her of where all his broken bones were, and settling in with her for the first night of many.


End file.
